Aftermath
by Link The Hero of Light
Summary: After the Twilight Invasion, a new chapter unfolds. Old enemies rise from the very pages of the Hero's travels and darkness looms. A new tale of romance, friendship and adventure begins.


**Inspiration: ZERO Overture TP, ALTTP Manga Ending.**

**Story dedicated to Authors MiniJen, ZeldaRubix, and Lovely girl 10.**

**Rights go to Nintendo.**

**AN: I decided to rewrite this, seeing how this my first story and it seriously deserved it as I like to think of every one of my stories as my kid in a way. **

**In other news, I recently read an article on Zelda Dungeon, saying that a credible author from The Wall Street Journal reports that Netflix possibly has a live action Legend of Zelda show in the works. **

Link was in shock. The dry wind of Gerdo Desert blew through the empty ruins. After the loud sound of glass shattering, the quiet was unnatural. _"She shattered the_ _mirror_,_ she shattered the mirror." _ His body was locked into place. _"You'll come with me won't you?"_ Midna's gaze held him in warmth. Midna's teasing laughter seemed to echo pleasantly in his ears. He felt wobbly and couldn't get enough air. The presence of the Princess of Hyrule was the only thing that kept him from breaking down completely, if he had been here by himself...he would have collapsed.

A soft gloved hand was placed on his face, turning his attention from the shattered mirror. I found myself looking into Zelda's blue eyes. She clasped my hands tightly, also seeking comfort. "Link..." She trailed off, her own sadness mirroring mine. Her sorrow matching mine. I couldn't speak, still in too much grief. We walked away from the mirror, my heart and legs aching. "What will you do now, Link ?" she asked him. I tried to speak but all that came out was a croak.

The princess looked over the horizon. "You know, some people can't tell if the sun is rising or setting." The sun was sinking on the horizon, beautiful shades of purple and reds colored the sky. "Whether they announce night or day, it means change." Zelda's words were filled with wisdom and filled me with a warm feeling. A mildly cool breeze announced the coming of night, the breeze was comforting. The setting sun colored the clouds the same shade of red as Midna's eyes.

I tried to take a step and I tripped, my body refusing to work. This time I did collapse. Zelda caught me, she smelled like clear water. My hands tightened on her shoulders. She held me close and I cried. I needed warmth. "Link." I found myself looking into a pair of worried blue gray eyes. "I will be here if you need me." Her voice was the most honest thing I'd heard.

"Are you ready to leave, Link?" Zelda asked, breaking the silence. I could only manage a weak nod. Her hand found mine. The sensation of being in one place and yet another came through me. The scene changed and we were standing in Hyrule Field. From the smoke to the west and the lake behind, Zelda had teleported us to the edges of the fields and the lake. The scenery was nice change from the mirror chamber. Overhead, the blue remains of the twilight magic vanished, the Twilight was truly gone from Hyrule.

"Will you escort me to Kakarico Village, Link ?" Zelda said while keeping her balance. _"Using magic to teleport us here must've taken a lot of energy out of her." _I lifted my horse call, a gift from Illia and whistled a tune that never failed to summon Epona. An answering whinny met my ears. I smiled, so soon after Midna had shattered the mirror. I patted her snout. "You remember Zelda, don't you?" Epona nodded her head. I got back in the saddle and offered my hand to Zelda. The Princess sat behind me, her hands on my waist.

Extra gear had been packed for some reason, somebody knew that I had a companion. Zelda smiled as she took in the contents. "From the guardians of the royal family, sometimes they see everything." Impaz had mentioned that she was a member of a clan that served the royal family. I decided not to question it, some secrets were meant to stay secret. We rode until the moon and stars came out fully. Zelda pulled out a piece of canvas and rods. She said something in Ancient Hylian that I couldn't understand and a tent sprang up. "Handy, but I will sleep outside." I slept outside as a wolf so long that it became natural for me to sleep outside. I only had a simple bedroll on Epona.

As soon as my eyelids closed, I was greeted by a nightmare. Dark storm clouds swirled above the throne room, occasionally lit up by a flash of lightning. "Welcome to my castle." Four simple words that held a deep power in them, comparable to the storm outside. The voice was deep and commanding. I turned and The King of Evil chuckled as he stood from the throne of Hyrule, as if it was a position he had earned. His white scar contrasted sharply with his dark armor. I had never thought that power could radiate off someone so strongly.

The legends had gotten everything about his appearance right, but they didn't even convey that the man's very presence could root you to the spot from fear. His tone itself was enough to paralyze. I drew the Master Sword and the blade trembled slightly. Gannondorf looked down at me, as if he was looking at an insect. The King of Darkness regarded my blade. The wielder of the Triforce of Power drew his sword, a sharp _shing _of steel echoed around the chamber. Zelda's body hung in the middle of a statue, carved in the shape of the Triforce.

The blade of the sages hung down from his grip almost lazily. Yet his stance was a fighter's. Midna wasn't with me. The King of Evil stepped down from his throne with all the confidence in the world. "I have been waiting for you, _Hero._" The word was made to be almost an insult, something far beneath him. Barriers formed around the throne room. The Triforce of Courage began glowing steadily, along with Wisdom and Power. The pieces were trying to become one.

The King of Evil chuckled, a sound that made shivers run down my spine. My hands tightened on the Master Sword and the blade steadied. Everyone and everything I loved depended on my victory. Gannondorf charged, bringing all his strength down in a mighty blow. I jumped and the resounding clash of steel echoed around the throne room. Gripping the Master Sword with both hands, I shoved Gannondorf's blade away.

The King of Evil recovered quickly, his backward step turning into a slice. Sparks flew off my shield. My arm became numb from the blow. Every blow seemed to be stronger than the last, Gannondorf using both hands to swing his sword. Slash, parry, slash, parry. The pattern carried us across the throne room. I felt as if I was fighting four darknuts at once.

Keeping Gannondorf from getting up close was like trying to keep a rampaging goat from charging. Gannondorf's shoulder hit my shield jarringly. My sword came up just in time to block his strike. There was no blocking a two handed strike like that and it slid off my blade. I ducked and the blade swung over my head. I locked blades with Gannondorf and replaced my blade with the hylian shield. My blade bit deep into Gannondorf's shoulder.

Gannondorf snarled. He came at me and rammed his elbow into my shield like a battering ram. He swiped at my head and I blocked. The force of the blow sent me skidding across the throne room. I side stepped and Gannondorf's blade sank into the stone. _"__Holy Farore."_ He ripped it out of the stone like it was an enemy. The dust flew everywhere. I raised my sword and the point of Gannondorf's blade was knocked away. I bashed with the shield, my numbness being replaced by a battle frenzy.

I stabbed downward and the master sword went into his thigh. Gannondorf's roar of pain echoed around the throne room. Gannondorf came down with his sword becoming a deadly downwards slash. I sidestepped and got underneath his guard, the King of Evil skewering himself on my blade. Any other man would have died from such a wound, but this was the man blessed by Din. Gannondorf unsheathed a dagger and I grabbed onto his wrist with one hand, the shield discarded on the floor and twisted behind him, the Master Sword sinking deeper onto the blade from the added weight.

I heard him choke out. "This is not ended boy, for the history of this kingdom will be written in it's own blood." Gannondorf stilled. It was only then that I noticed the dagger had ended up in my side. _"That's not good." _The blade was poisoned with dark magic, I could feel it running through my veins. The world began to darken.

"Link, LINK!" Zelda was calling my name through the darkness. I was being shaken awake. The stars of Hyrule field stretched overhead, pale by the coming of dawn. I immediately went on the attack. Zelda yelped as one of my daggers came from underneath me. _"What happened?! Who attacked?!"_ I looked around, nobody had attacked. Everything was the same as it was. Thanks to my heightened senses, I heard teeth being clenched together through pain.

I turned towards the princess and my heart almost stopped. One of Zelda's glove sleeves had been torn open exposing the cut I gave her with my dagger. _"Oh Goddesses, what have I done?" _I immediately began rummaging in my bag for some kind of bandage, alcohol and healing potion. Once I had all three, I approached Zelda who was trying a healing spell of some kind. Pain or exhausted magic could make the wound worse than what it was. "Let me help you."

Zelda looked up at me and my heart began beating fast. She held out her arm and I took off her glove. She winced and grit her teeth as I poured the alcohol on the wound. I wrapped the bandage around her arm. I handed her the potion and she gagged as it went down. "That was awful." Zelda grimaced. "You get used to it after the twentieth bottle of the stuff." We were holding hands and Zelda dropped mine like a hot potato. I felt kind of empty. Her hands were so smooth, unlined from labor.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." I had no control over myself in my battle rage. I had been fighting for so long that every moment was tense now. I could feel it in my body. "Tell me about your story, Link." Zelda's warm voice washed over me. "It's too soon to relive it, Zelda." A flood of memories filled my head with the sights and sounds of battle. Swords flashing, the shriek of monsters as he ended them. He found himself looking into the Princess's smoky blue eyes.

"I'm not asking you to relive it, I'm asking you to move past it." _If only it was so easy. _"I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I relive my battles." Healing from the duel with Gannondorf was a crash course in dark magic. Even unconscious, I could not see but had all waking senses. The salty sweetness of blood went into my mouth. The warmth of it on my skin.

My story came out willingly, like the pressure behind a cork. The Princess was a good audience and listened to every detail of my adventure. I felt a little better after telling my side of the story from the kids and Illia being kidnapped to the fight against Gannondorf. By the time I was done, the sun was beginning to rise, it's rays coming up over the horizon.

Zelda did'nt say anything. She clasped my hand slightly. Her eyes were the most interesting shade I had ever seen. It was a combination of blue and gray blended together in a way that captivated. Even in Ordon, her beauty was said to outshine all the other women in Hyrule. Even the great fairy herself. That rumor was not far from the truth. Zelda had an inner beauty, I had seen it while she was locked in a tower. Her presence seemed to weaken the shadows around her. Sometimes not saying anything meant you understand about loss. An "I'm sorry." did little to comfort.

Zelda certianly knew how to camp. She got everything on the horses with a pracitced ease and the tent collapsed in on itself, folding until it resebled a bedroll. Our journey was in silence, the natural state of Hyrule field had still not returned. The bordering canyons and high cliffs that sheltered Kakarico Village came into sight. Even though King Bublin had retreated, I kept glancing up expecting to a bublin archer about to shoot an arrow. Rusl and Colin were waiting outside the gate, keeping watch on the road. Link noticed Colin wearing a wooden shield on his back and a practice sword in a scabbard. I had no doubt that Colin had found his courage that day he stood in the way of a charging Bulbos.

Rusl had aged since his adventure, gray hairs had now sprung up making his father figure look years older than what he was. "Link's back!" Colin shouted and the kids form Ordon stampeded out of Renado's house. Malo, Beth, and Talo all started asking questions at once. "Where did you go? Are you still hurt? Fight any monsters?" Renado came out of his house. "One at a time children. Link needs rest after his journey."

"Who is that?" Talo had spotted Zelda, who had already gotten off my horse. "She's pretty." Malo muttered quietly, a sound that did not escape Hylian ears."My name is Zelda." The kids bowed in recognition of the crown princess. "Your majesty, after the destruction of the castle, there where rumors that you were dead." Renado spoke in his matter of fact tone that had kept him bedridden for days while he was injured. Zelda muttered "Talimar" under her breath.

"Was anybody inside the castle when it was destroyed?" Zelda asked concernedly. "The Resistance got a bit shaken up, but nothing serious." Rusl walked over, his eyes on me worriedly. "Later." I mouthed. "After all the monsters arrived, nobody went inside the castle." Zelda's posture relaxed a bit from this news."What of Castle Town?" she asked. "Telma has things mostly under control, but most of the town's residence have left for other parts of Hyrule such as Ordon and this village."

I noticed that some of the buildings that had been abandoned were now occupied. From the northern end, dust clouds from the wagons coming from Castle Town had built up. A rider clad in a tight fitting uniform rode up. From this close, he could see that the outfit was made of woven bandages and a leather chest plate with the symbol of one eye and teardrop painted in red. Silver hair stuck out of her viel and covered one eye. A Shiekah.

The shiekah glanced at me and Zelda. The figure tied his horse to the front of the tavern and went inside. "I thank the Resistance for it's service to Hyrule, now I must bid you farewell." Zelda went inside the tavern and disappeared into the crowd. I began leading Epona to the stables. The kids followed me, chatting about Zelda's sudden departure. I ignored them, a skill I had mastered a long time ago.

Illia stood outside the stables, a look on her face that made me think _"uh,oh." _The kids knew better than to stay around when Illia had her "mother face" on. _"Was Epona hurt?" _A few minor scrathes, but nothing serious. Maybe it was the bruise on my neck from being strangled in mid air by Gannondorf, holding me up like a rag doll. Illia suprised me by hugging me.

"I'm just glad your safe, Link." I had fully expected to get yelled at for leaving. The last time Ilia had seen me was after the final battle with Gannondorf. I had been unconscious during this time, the wounds from the battle marring my skin. Blood had stained my tunic red and the many cuts had more or less shredded the tunic. A diagonal slash going from the right shoulder to the left of my waist was the deepest wound he had given me. My ribs still felt tender after Gannondorf stepped on me like a bug. Illia didn't hug me too hard, as I was still on the mend.

We parted and Illia asked a question that I had no answer to. "What will you do now?" I had asked myself that same question over and over again after Midna left. "I don't know." I had adventured all over Hyrule for a year, now that it was over, I couldn't find myself at peace with the idea of returning to normalcy.

Three days passed and now the wagon was being prepared for the journey back to Ordon. I rode beside it, having too much time to think. Now that it was over, the things he did'nt want to do were rearing in front of him. The Master Sword would have to be returned to the Sacred Grove. After seeing the lands of Hyrule spread out before him, Ordon seemed small and cramped. Riding across the fields with the winds of Hyrule felt invigorating.

All too soon, Ordon came into view. _"__How strange that everything here can be so normal, yet so different." _His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of joy between parents and children. "Mom!" Colin shouted as she embraced him. Uli was carrying a basket of some kind and had set it on the ground. Rusl picked it up and smiled. I heard the coos of a baby come from within. There was a new family member in Ordon.

"Link, come over here and meet our new baby boy." He dismounted and came over. The baby was small and looked to be about only a couple months old. Back at Renado's I had heard about the new arrival from a rushed Rusl. His mentor had said something about naming and left in a hurry. Looking down at this new life, he could'nt help but ponder what would make him happy. "Name him, Link." Rusl said."What?"_ "Was this some kind of joke?" _Naming a kid was not all on his list. Uli smiled. "Give our son a name. We decided to wait until the darkness had passed and who better than to name a kid than the resident Hero?" The kids looked at him expectantly. "His name is Estel." Rusl clapped him on the back. "Another name for hope."

He excused himself from the gathering and went up into his house to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the mat. Dreams found him and this time he was in a familar setting. White mists covered the ground and sky. Hyrule Castle rose in the distance. The sound of an ocarina being played drifted with the mists. The Song of Healing. A familar skeleton came through the mists.

My undead mentor stood silently for a while, as if sensing my emptiness. "There is one last skill to teach you, after that I will pass to the Sacred Realm." The skeleton drew his sword. "This skill empowers your sword with the light of the Sacred Realm and only the Master Sword can wield it without being destroyed as a normal blade would. Simply raise your sword skyward." Drawing the Master Sword and holding it up, the blade began to glow with a white light, turning the blade into a ray of sunlight almost too bright to look at. Turning towards his mentor, he found nothing, not even a footprint to show that the skeleton had ever existed. The landscape seemed emptier without the skeleton. Ancient Hylian came over the wind.

_"Here at last, his journey ends. For now he has earned his rest in the realm eternal. Why do you stumble? So sad and so dreary, from hardships untold and heartache unending. Rest now, Hero. With friends long gone and a love waiting."_ The voices made him relax, his internal turmoil fading to a dull ache.

I awoke feeling a bit better rested. Now that I knew what to do for after the Master Sword was laid to rest. As he packed up his equipment, rations and rupees for the road ahead, I looked around at his home witch had a feeling of ...constraint after his adventure. Everything was clean, the villagers had kept it tided up for him, while he was away. The sun rising made Ordon look beautiful, the rivers glowing softly, the mists hanging low and sparkling. Ordon would always be his home, but not what he wanted in his life, with the road steching on and on.

He then saw Illia. She was blocking the path out of Ordon. "You're leaving aren't you?" I was getting tired of all these goodbyes. "This is not a goodbye Illia, a goodbye is for someone you will never see again." _"One day, I will come back." _I promised myself at least that. "Link, before all this all happened I thought.." As much as she wanted to be with me in the romantic way, I didn't see myself settling down with a family anytime soon. "Illia, that boy you knew has grown up and seen some things you can't forget no matter how hard you try. We will always be friends though." Illia sad smile reminded him of Midna. _"Was that why you said see you later Midna?" _ "We will meet again someday, Illia" As I rode away, my mentor's words echoed back _"The way of the sword is a long and often lonely road."_

A new path had opened in the woods. The path led to the ruins of the temple of time bypassing the ravines, but still going into the maze that was the woods. I could faintly hear Skull Kid playing a pipe. The tune was bright and cheerful, something anybody would dance to. A girl dressed in a green tunic and brown boots ran through the forest laughing. She was there and not there.

The old temple loomed into view, it's faded majesty echoing an unseen choir of voices that had gone through it before. The clearing where the Master Sword rested had no wind breezing through it, caught in stillness. His boots made a shuffling sound on the old stone. The pedstal waited for the Master Sword to be restored to it, placed in it's place of slumber. Drawing the Master Sword with a sense of finality, circling it around. The blade emitted a white light as it was placed in the pedastal.

Without the Master Sword in his hands, he felt as if something important as a limb was missing. But somehow, he knew that they would meet again. As he walked past the door that led to another version of the Temple, the doors standing open as if beckoning him to enter. Remembering that the Master Sword was inside somewhere, I entered the Past Temple of Time. White marble, stained glass windows decorated with the Royal Symbol of Hyrule and the Triforce. The temple had changed though, on an altar decorated with scenes of The Legend of the Hero of Time inlaid in gold and sliver. On the altar sat The Ocarina of Time. I had grown up hearing stories of this instrument and approached with a sense of awe.

Picking up the Ocarina, as if it was a gem, I remembered the notes for a lullaby that he had howled to call the golden wolf. Playing a soothing tune, the symbol of the royal family glowed on a stone that revealed a small chest in prefect condition. Opening it, A thick book titled Tales of the Hero sat, along with three small gems, a ruby, emerald and sapphire. It was larger inside than on the outside. A goron, zora and a deku kid maks lay on one side. A cloth map of Hyrule, a collection of swords and a Hylian Shield that somehow looked different than the one he had bought from Malo. The eye-catcher was a sliver chain mail shirt so polished it was almost blinding. A red cape with gold-colored thread lay folded. On top of the folded cape lay golden shoulder armor. He had the feeling that these were for him.

The Chamber of The Master Sword had changed as well, murals so detailed, he felt they were windows showing him real events. The Heroes Chosen by the Master Sword, written in Ancient Hylian was the title of the mural. The center showed a younger blond Link face a black scaled demon with a plume of fire for demon's sword was tined along the edges, lighting streaked the black clouds in the background. Right of it the image showed a blond hero that Link knew on sight, The Hero of Time facing a giant boar man with two swords, surrounding them a ring of fire with the Princess of Destiny on the outside, a look of shock and horror on her face. To the left, a not yet a teenager Hero faced a middle-aged Gannondorf. The fight appeared to be at the bottom of a lake, the waters torn apart for their fight. To the far right, a mural showed him, crossing blades with Gannondorf, the deadliest foe he had faced.

He still didn't know how he won, he just told himself to protect Hyrule till his last breath left his body and avenged all those peaceful lives destroyed by Gannondorf. The Master Sword rested in it's pedestal. I placed my hand on the Master Sword. Instead of the soft white light that had emmited from the sword the first time he was in it's presence, the blade did nothing. There was no power in it's blade. I felt as if my arm was missing, a phantom pain of the wound that was there in his heart. The Blade of Evil's Bane was truly asleep now.

In this temple I felt truly alone, only bleakness waited for him outside. Stopping short of the threshold of the Master Sword chamber, I turned around. The light from above fell perfectly on the blade, making the metal shine brightly for a moment. An unseen woman's voice echoed through the chamber, clear and melodious. "_Whenever evil threatens the realm of Hyrule, the Master Sword shall awaken and call the hero to arms."_

The scene dissolved into mists, leaving me standing in front of a ruined closed door that led nowhere. The ruins were silent. Epona whinned, breaking the silence. It was time to go. I did'nt look back as the ruined temple dissappeared into the woods.

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